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Disclaimer: same as always my friends. Jon owns Rent, I own my characters kapesh?

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AN: R&R appreciated.

Enjoy 

Chapter 8:

Rachael's POV

I opened the doors to the Art Academy, butterflies in my stomach. My first day, teaching. I would have never guessed I'd be doing this. I was excited but so nervous.

The same blond from yesterday came over to me with a smile, "Hi!"

"HI, do you know which room I teach in?" I asked a bit embarrassed.

She nodded, not fazed by my question, "No problem." She led my along a corridor that led to an alley which had many doors to another building. She stopped infront of a fringed dirty red door that said, rm. 103. "My name's Giselle, glad you could join us Rachael."

I shook her hand, "Thanks." I opened the door, unsure of what to expect. I was surprised to see it was set up like an sort of like an actual art classroom, there were about a dozen easels with old barstools behind them. A small old metal cabinet was against the back wall, I presumed it held all the materials.

I sighed with relief to see the room was empty. I wasn't late, I hated being late it was a pet peeve of mine.

I placed my bag near the front easel and got out the class information packet and her own materials.

Today was apparently just introduction day, seemed pretty easy.

As I put my materials back into my bag I heard the door open. I turned around to see tall man with black hair, it hung limply above his bright green eyes. The effect was rather haunting.

"Are you Rachael Adams?" He asked stepping into the room catiously.

I nodded, I looked down at the roster Giselle had given me, trying to guess who he was. Ryan Nelson, Peter Reiser, and Steven Fairbanks were the only men enrolled, before I could choose he said softly, "Hi, I'm Steven…I guess I'm your student."

"Welcome Steven." I replied as he took a seat. Over the next five minutes or so, the rest of the students slowly wandered in. Once all the seats were filled up, I stood , my legs shaking slightly.

"Hi everyone, my name's Rachael I'm your teacher. Just to get to know everyone, how about we go around the room, say your name, why you started drawing, and umm..your favorite food." I said, "Steven you can start first."

He seemed surprised at how relaxed the situation and smiled, he was dressed in nice pants and a black shirt, "I'm Steven, well I started drawing when I first went to my brother's art exhibit, and saw the work on the walls, he was much older at the time, and all the work was just really enchanting. My favorite food is, umm…those salt and pepper chips you can get down on St. Marks."

The blonde girl behind him started quietly, she tucked a piece of her curly locks behind her ear nervously, "I'm Stella, I started drawing when my mother showed me some her artwork, back then I wanted to be just like her. My favorite food is ice cream."

A bloke with brown wavy hair spoke next, his voice deep and suave as if he wanted to earn early brownie points, "I'm Ryan, I started to draw when I saw maybe 5 and I saw this bird, and I guess it just seemed interesting to me and it started a liking for the art, my favorite food is burgers."

A redhead with clear green eyes waved to everyone, she was wearing flowy clothes and multitude of bangles on each arm, "Hello, my name's Dani, I first started drawing, well. You know when you get really bored and you doodle on the side of the page? I just kept doodling and my teacher saw and recommended I go further with it. My favorite food is the miso soup down at the Life."

The next one had golden hair that reminded a bit of Roger's but shorter with brown eyes, he said very very quietly, "My names Peter, I started drawing when my dad got sick so I would have something to remember him by, and my favorite food is chocolate." He was very calm and quiet and didn't really smile.

The last student was a girl who shoulder length black hair that was half up, her blue eyes behind glasses, "My names Melanie and I started drawing when my mom signed me up for an art class when I was young and it was something that helped me relax. Uhh, my favorite food is salad."

I smiled at my class, they were all so unique, I couldn't wait to see what their technique was. "Thank you. I guess I should do the same, again I'm Rachael and my mum is an artist so she let me try all the arts and I found a really personal connection with drawing. My favorite food would have to be fish and chips."

I looked at the clock, we had about 15 minuetes left, it had gone by so fast. "Well, we have about 15 minutes left, all I really had planned was to meet everyone today. Does anyone have any questions?"

Stella slowly raised her hand, "Where are you from?"

I smiled, "Well, I grew up in Scarsdale but I'm British."

Now that the first question had been asked, they seemed more confident to raise their hands.

Steven, his face curious, asked, "Can you do a drawing for us?"

I hadn't been expecting that. They seemed to all lean in unconsciously, eager to see my work.

"Sure." I got out my pencils, and let it connect with paper. As a couple moments went by, Giselle's face started to peer out at me. Lost in memory of her features and what I knew of her. Finally finished, I put my pencil down and looked up at the clock, class was over, it had gone by all so quickly. I stepped aside so they could see, they gazed at it with glances of emotions I couldn't discern, longing, admiration, disgust, I couldn't tell.

"Umm, class is over, I'll see you all in two days from now."

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Mark opened his door, "How was it?" He asked, his camera on me.

I smiled at the lens, "It was wonderful. It's a nice small class, I think it's going to be great."

He turned it off, setting it aside then pulled me close, his arms going around my waist. I had missed his touch, even if it had only been an hour or two.

"I missed you." I whispered in his ear.

I heard Roger 'gag' behind us, I glared at him as Mark blushed, "I missed you too."

I smiled at Roger, oh he had forgotten who he was dealing with. I pulled Mark into a obnoxiously passionate kiss staying right in front of him.

He pretended to puke into his guitar. I put my arms around his neck and would have continued our kiss if there hadn't been for a sudden voice filling the loft.

"SPEAAAAAKKK!"

"Mark, this is your mother! You will just never guess what happened, Cindy's here! She came down for the weekend. What a surprise for us! We hoped perhaps you might be able to come on down for a visit too. It's been such a long time since we've seen you honey. We invited Nanette over too incase you haven't found a lady friend by now," Mark's face turned beet red. "If you have just bring her along too, it's been so long since you brought anyone over." There were voices in the background, and then a man's voice came on. "Yeah, the last one was Maureen wasn't it? In any case it's been too long since you've been laid Mark-" He closed his eyes, as if he was trying to convince himself that this wasn't happening. Mark's mom cut his dad off, "Dan, really! Sorry about that honey. Well if can come down we'd love to see you. Love mom!!"

We were silent as the final beep faded out.

"Who's Nanette?" I asked softly.

"An ex from a long time ago, I learned the tango with her." He said softly.

Roger looked down and didn't say anything, the message had made things very awkward.

Although the message was odd, I wanted to meet his parents. Not for the purpose to becoming friendly, I had gotten the feeling Mark resented them very much. More that, I really felt this relationship might last, and then I would have to meet them eventually.

"Do you want to go?" I asked hopefully

His eyes widened as if I was crazy, "You can't be serious?"

"What. Why not?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Rach, my parents and I we don't get along-" He reached out to me, his eyes pleading as he tried to change my mind.

I pulled away, "You met my dad. How is it any different?" I asked, confused.

He straightened his glasses, his little nervous habit. "If your dad had called you and asked for you to come see him, you would be doing the same that I am."

"But Mark- you know what no. Whatever, I can't force you." I said, shutting the door behind me as I went back to my loft.

I picked up my phone and dialed a number I had memorized.

"Hello?"

I smiled, I had missed her voice, "Hi Mum…."

Mark's POV

I stared at the door she had just left from. "Roger what just happened?" My head and my heart were both colliding about what had just happened.

He sighed, frowned, and shrugged his shoulders all at the same time, being indecisive as usual, "Am I the only one who can read her like I book."

"Well you have known her for longer Roger."

He set down his guitar and looked up at me, "She just wants to meet them, for her own reasons despite all you've said against them. Maybe you should give her that chance."

I bit my lip, feeling foolish now. "Ok. I'll be back."

I knocked on her door, Rachael opened with a phone in her hand.

"Oh sorry, am I interrupting?" I asked pointing to the phone.

She shook her head smiling faintly, "Its ok, Just finished talking to my mum."

She pulled the door open a little more. I gulped as I stepped in. "How is she?"

"She's good thanks."

Before she could say anything I spoke softly, "Rachael, we can go if you want to."

Her smile brightened, "Really?"

"Really."

It was surprising how good it felt to see her smile, even when I was giving up something. I guess there's beauty in the compromise.

I brought close. I kissed her on the forehead. "We can head out tomorrow."

Her smile turned mischievous, "Wanna help me pack?" She said, unbuttoning the first couple buttons on her shirt, enough buttons to see a hint of her cleavage.

I blushed madly, "Gladly."